We loved because He first loved us

I was watching this Korean drama called "Cinderella's Sister". The story talked about how a promiscous lady married into a rich man's family. The lady brought along her teenage daughter into the family. This rich man also had a daughter who was about the same age as the other girl. The story focused on the rivalry between the two step-sisters but that was not what I wanted to touch on. Today I am centering my attention on the rich man: the husband and father.

This man really has a kind heart. His wife was a highly insecure and materialistic person. She stayed with him because of his wealth. She pretended to be the virtuous wife and mother so that he would like her. However, that was not her true character. She was loud, noisy and rough. She even cheated on her hubby by meeting up with her old flame.

Then one day this man suddenly died of heart attack. The wife was sad to see him leave but when she read his journals, she was devastated. She saw that he all along knew she was pretending and was telling lies to cover up her affair. However angry and sad he was, he did not mind this because he really loved her. He felt he was useless because he could not give her the security to be herself and hence she had to lie and be hypocritical.  He also didn't expose her for fear that it would end their relationship. He would rather endure all these than to live a life without her. Such was the extent of his love for her.

When I thought about it, I realised no human being possibly could be so kind as to endure all these and forgive their spouse. Not especially when you loved her so dearly since you would be hurt so deeply. But I know of someone who is really that good. He is our Abba Father. Imagine sending His only Beloved Son to die for us while we are still sinners with our backs turned against Him.

We are like the bride of Christ yet when we lose our first love for Jesus, we are like spiritual adulterers. Yet through it all, Jesus never blamed us and kept loving us like how He loved His own body (Eph 5:28). All because He loved us so much. It was never about what we did or who we are to make God love us more. It's all about God and His great love for us. No wonder bible says in 1 John 4:19 'We loved because He first loved us.'

The husband in the drama was so kind-hearted and sincere. He truly loved his wife even though she was far from perfect. Nothing the wife did could make him not love her. Actually I thought it was sad for the wife to not know this when he was alive. It was a sad thing to think that someone liked you because you are virtuous but in fact, you are not the person he thought you are.

Remember the story of the Syrophenocian woman who came to Jesus to ask for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. She called Jesus 'Son of David' even though she was not a Jew. She pretended to be one so that Jesus would heal her daughter. However, Jesus did not want her to pretend. He wanted her to come as she was so that when He healed her daughter, she would know that she was so loved for being who she was.

Beloved friends, imagine how liberated you can be when you know that the Father loves you just the way you are. In fact, He first loved you, long before you knew Him or loved Him. Nothing we could do would separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39). It was all about God, not about us. Let the security of His love sink deep into your heart. When you know that you are always loved by the Father and that you cannot lose this favour, you will then be truly free to respond to His love.